Intravenous feeding like several medical procedures requires insertion of a hollow needle in a vein to provide needed nutrients with medication and/or vitamins and is often initiated because the patient may be unconscious and/or is in cardiac arrest. A blood transfusion is another example of a medical procedure which requires insertion of a hollow needle in a vein. In many individuals a vein in the arm can be found easily for these purposes and can be inflated by applying manual pressure to the arm, but in a significant number of individuals, especially those in severe shock or cardiac arrest where their circulatory system may be in vascular collapse, the insertion of an intravenous needle will be significantly more difficult and time-consuming.
The measurement of blood pressure by a sphygmomanometer takes place by restricting the flow of blood using a pneumatic device comprising a rubber bladder covered by a long cloth sleeve and a rubber bulb connected to the bladder which can inflate it. This pneumatic device which is wrapped around the arm like a cuff during the measurement of blood pressure, restricts the flow of blood in the arm without injuring the individual.
It is an object of the instant invention to provide a pneumatic vein inflation device which holds back the flow of blood in a vein in an extremity, especially in an arm, and acts to inflate the vein for a medical testing and/or treatment procedure, by transposing a volume of blood from the upper arm to the lower arm.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a pneumatic vein inflation device which helps inflate a vein in an extremity, especially an arm, of an individual to initiate intravenous feeding of the individual.
It is another object of the invention to provide a pneumatic vein inflation device which helps inflate a vein in an extremity, especially an arm, of an individual to facilitate insertion of a hollow needle in the vein to draw blood or perform a blood transfusion.
It is a general object of the invention to provide a device which facilitates otherwise time-consuming and difficult intravenous procedures for individuals whose veins are difficult to find, toughened by old age or in vascular collapse.